Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to radioisotope purification and concentration, and in particular to a radioisotope concentrator device for use with a radioisotope source, a system, and a process for capturing at least one radioisotope from a radioisotope solution obtained from a radioisotope source.
The disclosure has been developed primarily for use in conjunction with a radioisotope source provided in the form of a radioisotope generator configured for generating the radioisotope solution or a vial containing the radioisotope solution source and will be described hereinafter with reference to this application. However, it will be appreciated that the disclosure is not limited to this particular field of use.
Description of the Related Art
Technetium-99m (99mTc) is a metastable isotope of technetium. This means it has at least two modes of decay with two different half-lives. The decay mode with the shorter half-life is approximately 6 hours and decays via gamma ray emission (with an energy of 140 keV) to its ground state which in turn decays via pure beta emission with a half-life of 2.13×105 years to stable Ruthenium-99 (Ru-99). This long-lived ground state of 99Tc is considered practically stable with respect to Nuclear Medicine. 99m 
Tc is produced from the radioactive decay of its parent radioisotope Molbdenum-99 (99Mo) which has a half-life of approximately 66 hours. 99mTc is used in approximately 85% of diagnostic imaging procedures in nuclear medicine worldwide. Currently, global demand for 99Mo is met primarily by production through fission of Uranium-235 irradiated in a nuclear reactor or through a “neutron capture” nuclear reaction on Molybdenum-98. The 99Mo is then purified and supplied routinely to manufacturers of 99Mo/99mTc generators around the world. Its reasonably long half-life allows for transport to radiopharmacies over long distances without too much loss from nuclear decay. At the point and time of use, 99mTc is extracted from the 99Mo/99mTc generator with a solvent, regularly with normal saline solution through a process called elution.
In addition, Rhenium-188 (188Re) is used in Nuclear Medicine procedures and therapies and is derived from a Tungsten-188/Rhenium-188 (188W/188Re) generator.
The eluent from these types of 99mTc and 188Re generators can be purified and concentrated with the technology and process of this disclosure.
The cost-effective utilization of a 99Mo/99mTc generator and the quality of 99mTc based Single-Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT) imaging diagnoses is controlled by the generator operation/elution management. The primary factor pertaining to the Nuclear Medicine diagnostic scans' quality is the concentration of the 99mTc in the 99Mo/99mTc generator elution expressed as activity per mL. Hence, the useful life time of the 99Mo/99mTc generator is dictated by the amount of 99Mo remaining within the generator since it is the source of 99mTc via decay. The useful life of the generator can be extended by concentrating the 99mTc derived from the generator at any given time.
Generally, a 99mTc solution/eluate is produced from the 99Mo/99mTc generator in fixed volume and the concentration of the 99mTc in the eluate decreases with the life time of the 99Mo/99mTc generator due to the radioactive decay of the parent nuclide, 99Mo. Effective utilization of the 99Mo/99mTc generator therefore, depends not only on the available 99mTc activity in the 99Mo/99mTc generator, but also on the concentration of the 99mTc recovered in the eluted solution eluate, defined as activity per mL.
The present disclosure seeks to provide a radioisotope concentrator device for use with a radioisotope source, a system, and a process for capturing at least one radioisotope from a radioisotope solution obtained from a radioisotope source, which will overcome or substantially ameliorate at least some of the deficiencies of the prior art, or to at least provide an alternative.
It is to be understood that, if any prior art information is referred to herein, such reference does not constitute an admission that the information forms part of the common general knowledge in the art, in Australia or any other country.